A brake actuator of this kind is shown in applicant's WO 96/12634. Special reference is made to FIG. 12 therein with accompanying description, which deals with a disc brake actuator embodying the invention according to said patent publication.
Generally speaking, there is a growing interest in the art of rail vehicle braking to make use of electrical power in one way or another instead of air pressure or hydraulic pressure for the brake application. More specifically, the technique diclosed in said publication with an electrical service brake arrangement and a safety arrangement with a powerful spring may be of interest not only for disc braking as disclosed in the publication but also for block braking, where a brake block or brake shoe is to be brakingly applied against the tread of a rotating wheel.
One of the major problems with present rail vehicle bogie designs is the extremely limited space available for a brake actuator, which has been detrimental to earlier attempts with block brake actuators of the kind referred to.
The main object of the invention is accordingly to accomplish a brake actuator of the kind referred to with a minimum space requirement but yet fulfilling all other requirements posed thereon.